Reflection “It is impossible to awaken a man who is pretending to be asleep.” –Navajo proverb Prayer God of Encounter, We know the temptation all too well: in times of crisis and challenge, it’s far simpler to pretend that we don’

Prayer

God of Encounter,

We know the temptation all too well: in times of crisis and challenge, it’s far simpler to pretend that we don’t know what’s really going on. To ignore the chaos and play the emu with our heads in the sand. Yet this is no way for us to live out the calling you have given and for which you have empowered us with your very own Spirit. Fill us anew with that Spirit today, that we might avoid the temptation to sleepwalk through challenge, and to embrace instead the encounters that are coming our way. Fill us with grace, endurance, and a persevering spirit that is ready to serve in whatever small way we can. For the life of the world, we pray. Amen.

Reflection “Community exists for the sake of belonging and takes its identity from the gifts, generosity, and accountability of its citizens. It is not defined by its fears, its isolation, or its penchant for retribution.”  –Peter

Prayer

Unifying Spirit,

People are transformed by the genuine experience of community. When we surmount our fears and the forces of isolation, when we insist on truly taking care of each other and becoming responsible for the needs of our neighbors, we are all transformed as a result. For those of us who share this ministry together and are shaping its culture each day, may belonging and generosity and accountability rule and reign in our hearts, so that this ministry of healing might stand as a community of hope to a world in need. Amen.

Reflection “A society in which consumption has to be artificially stimulated in order to keep production going is a society founded on trash and waste, for such a society is a house built upon sand.” –Dorothy Sayers Prayer God of

Prayer

God of Tomorrow,

We seek an economy that supports and sustains the authentic development of the common good long into the future. Yet we also are confronted by the repercussions of undoing the webs of consumption that stimulate the economy we already have. Help us to work creatively, together, so that we can convert the whole of this consumer culture into a more sustainable economy of authentic ecological flourishing. May we find ways to protect the real human needs of everyone involved in the process, especially those who are poor and marginalized. Give us vision and direction for a society built on stable foundations, accommodating the gifts and talents of all. Amen.

World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day

Prayer

Dearest Friend,

On World Mental Health Day, we join our voices in support of our collective well-being as one human family, brothers and sisters united by a spirit of solidarity. There are so many reasons for so many among us to feel angst-ridden, depression, or to be sick for other reasons and in need of deep healing. Through our care and concern for each other, may all those who are struggling discover that they do indeed have companions in their trials, as we commit to walking beside them in the pathway of healing. May we continue to break the stigma surrounding mental health issues and become better friends one to another. Amen.

Feast of St. John Henry Newman

Feast of St. John Henry Newman

Prayer

God with us,

How delightful it is to celebrate the life of this incredible saint, John Henry Newman, whose intellect was so vast, and yet he knew it was better by far to have a sincere and humble faith rather than the most sophisticated education and wit. Thank you for witnesses like this, who remind us that our nearness to you is measured precisely by our nearness to your people, especially those who are vulnerable, marginalized, and otherwise forgotten. In honor of this scholar and saint, may we all serve you better by serving your people better, with love, generosity, and compassion. Amen.

Reflection “Love seeks one thing only: the good of the one loved. It leaves all the other secondary effects to take care of themselves. Love, therefore, is its own reward.” –Thomas Merton Prayer Love Divine, Our notions about love

Prayer

Love Divine,

Our notions about love can often get skewed. We fall prey to thinking that love should be measured by our own satisfaction or emotional fulfillment, rather than by the actions we take to secure the good of another. Yet this is what love does: it is not self-seeking and it never gives reason for envy; it is patient and kind; always concerned with the good of the beloved. Lead us to embrace these deeper expressions of love, that we might experience a love more like yours, a love which is indeed its own reward. Amen.

Reflection “Now, more than ever, what is revealed is the fallacy of making individualism the organizing principle of society. What will be our new principle?” –Pope Francis Prayer God of my neighbor, We are increasingly aware of t

Prayer

God of my neighbor,

We are increasingly aware of the roads to so-called progress, which in fact lead only to dead ends. Looking out for our own interests, consumption without responsibility, acquisitiveness apart from investment… None of these are sustainable principles by which we can live, individually or as nations together. As we yearn for new ways to move forward, call out from among us exemplary leaders who can show us the way to a new experience of fraternity, sorority, and belonging one to another; so that we may become more genuinely response-able for each other’s security and well-being. As one human family we pray, Amen.